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As Christmas lights twinkle across the globe, Bethlehem, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, stands in stark contrast, its streets hushed, shrouded in sorrow and celebrations muted.
For the second consecutive year, the historic city observes the holiday season against the backdrop of conflict. The war on Gaza continues to cast a shadow over the Palestinian territories, claiming the lives of children, women, and the elderly.
Yet, in Bethlehem’s churches and sanctuaries, prayers and hymns continue to resound, with increased supplications for an end to Israel’s war on Gaza. This is a siege that has dragged on longer and wrought more destruction than even its instigators foresaw.
The muted Christmas season extends far beyond Bethlehem’s borders, with traditional celebrations absent across Palestinian towns and cities, including Jerusalem.
The decision to cancel holiday festivities, both Christian and Muslim, initially made in the wake of the Oct. 7 events, reflects a deeper pattern of subdued activities that has characterized life under occupation since 1967.
This is the reality of life under occupation. Wherever soldiers take root, suffering follows — humiliation, imprisonment, and the familiar cruelties that military rule has inflicted on occupied peoples throughout history. 

The war on Gaza continues to cast a shadow over Palestinian territories.

Bakir Oweida

Beyond the emotional toll, Palestinian cities face the economic weight of a holiday season without visitors. Cities such as Bethlehem, East Jerusalem, and Nazareth draw Christians from around the world, whose visits breathe life into local markets and sustain livelihoods. For many Palestinians, the influx of Christmas tourists offers a rare opportunity to offset rising living costs.
In East Jerusalem and Nazareth, similar scenes unfold as these historically significant Christian sites experience an unusually quiet holiday season. The regular flow of international visitors, who typically provide vital economic support to these communities, has dwindled significantly since the conflict began.
As the world celebrates Christmas, it should not be forgotten that celebrations in Christ’s birthplace are far from merry. Should world leaders not recognize their duty to demand an end to the ongoing war in Palestine?
The truth is unavoidable — the people caught in this conflict have already waited too long for peace.

• Bakir Oweida is a Palestinian journalist who pursued a professional career in journalism in Libya in 1968, where he worked at Al-Haqiqa newspaper in Benghazi, then Al-Balagh and Al-Jihad in Tripoli. He has written for several Arab publications in Britain since 1978. He worked at Al-Arab newspaper, Al-Thadamun magazine and the international Arabic newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat. He has also worked as a consultant at the online newspaper Elaph.

• This article first appeared in Asharq Al-Awsat.